Can Gender Be Computed?

The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. Imagine walking down the street and seeing advertising screens change their content based on how you walk, how you talk, or even the shape of your chest. These screens rely on hidden cameras, microphones and computers to guess if you're male or female. This might sound futuristic, but patrons in a Norwegian pizzeria discovered it's exactly what was happening: Women were seeing ads for salad and men were seeing ads for meat options. The software running a digital advertising board spilled the beans when it crashed and displayed its underlying code.